Indonesian rescuers retrieve body from Mount Dukono as search continues | Indonesia
Rescuers have recovered the body of an Indonesian woman caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s remote Halmahera island, officials said.
Search efforts to find the bodies of two Singaporeans continued on Saturday. The dead hikers were among 20 people who set out to climb the 1,355-metre (4,445 ft) volcano, ignoring safety restrictions, and became trapped when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick column of ash nearly 10 km into the air.
The woman, identified by authorities only as Enjel and known as a local hiker, was found about 50 meters from the rim of the main crater on Saturday afternoon, said Iwan Ramdani, who heads the local search and rescue office. He said the location of the two Singaporean climbers was unknown and rescue efforts were ongoing due to high volcanic activity.
“Rescue efforts went through a situation that required careful calculation and a well-planned evacuation strategy,” Ramdani said. “We took into account the safety of all personnel as well as the potential increase of volcanic activity.”
Since the explosion, 17 hikers have been safely evacuated, including seven Singaporeans and two Indonesians who joined the rescue operation and briefed the victims on climbing routes. 10 of those evacuated suffered minor burn injuries.
The search operation, involving more than 100 people supported by drones, resumed early on Saturday, focusing on a 700 square meter area where clues had been found in previous searches despite the dangerous terrain and ongoing explosions, according to Ramdani.
He added that rescuers were prioritizing safety as Dukono’s volcanic activity remained high. “The real challenge in this search effort is that we are racing against explosions,” Ramdani said in a video statement. “We approach the crater area when authorities declare conditions safe, but when an explosion occurs we must immediately rescue all search personnel from potential danger.”
Indonesia’s volcanological agency reported a series of eruptions from early Saturday until late in the morning, including columns of ash rising as high as 3,000 meters (10,000 ft). Lava explosions were also observed throughout the night.
Mount Dukono has been at its second-highest alert level since 2008. The volcanology agency had proposed a two-and-a-half-mile (4 km) exclusion zone around the active crater in December 2024.
All hiking trails to Mount Dukono were closed by local authorities in April, and the ban was further strengthened after Friday’s incident. The national disaster management agency warned that entering restricted areas could result in legal action and urged climbers and tour operators to follow safety advice.
Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 270 million people, lies along the Pacific “ring of fire” and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes.
